This invention provides means for cleaning gas turbine engines which are called upon to operate in dusty and particle contaminated enviroments. To operate efficiently such engines must be cleaned after every 50 to 100 hours of use. The cleaning and preservation unit herein disclosed consists of one large and three medium size reservoirs, a control console, a mobile handrawn cart, a gasoline engine powered air compressor, and all required interconnecting plumbing. Also included are five air pressure regulators, with integral pressure gages. One regulator is located in the main air supply line coming from the large air/water reservoir and three regulators are located in the air supply lines to the medium size reservoirs. The air system incorporates a regulated air source for operator use which draws air from the main air supply line between the main air pressure regulator and manifold. The main air supply line contains the fifth air pressure regulator, gage, and a check valve. The portable cleaning and preservation unit incorporates an auxiliary electrical power system to provide a means of supplying electrical power to engine starters. This allows the turbine engine to be run up and motored during the cleaning operation, thus assuring thorough penetration of the cleaning and preservation solutions into all parts and chambers.
Cleaning and preservation units have been configured before. The early units did not have an air compressor but made use of prepressurized air bottles to acutate the system. When it was found that the turbine had to be spinning for proper cleaning of the engine, this was done by cranking from either the internal aircraft battery or from an auxiliary battery cart. Neither of these approaches allowed the cleaning operation to proceed on a coordinated basis. Our invention makes it possible to control the whole cleaning and preservation sequence from one console. All equipment needed to carry out the task is contained in a single self-powered unit.